The Genius

Chapter 1: A New Beginning

The sun peeked through the window blinds, its golden rays casting streaks of light on the wooden floors of the brothers' shared home. It was the first day of their new school, and the house was already alive with a mix of chaos and reluctance.

"Get up already, Blaze!" Halilintar's booming voice thundered through the halls as he stood outside Blaze's door, fists pounding on it like a judge's gavel. "If you make us late, I swear—"

"Calm down, Hali," came the muffled reply from the other side. "You act like we're going to war or something!"

"It is a war!" Hali snapped, his eyebrows furrowing. "A war against your laziness!"

Meanwhile, down the hallway, Ice lazily rolled over in bed, his blanket half-draped over his face. The commotion outside his room didn't faze him in the slightest. His alarm clock beeped incessantly, but instead of turning it off, he simply shoved it to the edge of the table with a groan.

"Why does school have to start so early?" he muttered, yawning as he finally sat up, rubbing his eyes. Just as he was about to flop back down, Blaze burst into his room without warning.

"Morning, lazybones!" Blaze smirked, tossing a pillow straight at Ice's face. "You planning to snooze through the whole day?"

Ice caught the pillow midair with surprising speed and tossed it back lazily. "And you're planning to talk this loud before breakfast?"

In the kitchen, the smell of eggs and toast wafted through the air as Gempa stood by the stove, apron tied neatly around his waist. His calm demeanor was a stark contrast to the chaos upstairs. He hummed to himself as he flipped pancakes, pausing every now and then to glance at the clock.

"Taufan, hurry up!" he called out.

"Coming!" Taufan's cheerful voice rang from his room as he dashed out moments later, buttoning up his shirt halfway. "I smell pancakes! Gem, you're the best!"

"Tell that to Hali," Gempa chuckled. "He's been trying to get Blaze out of bed for twenty minutes now."

Taufan laughed as he slid into a chair at the dining table, only to be joined moments later by Duri. The youngest-looking of the six, Duri walked in quietly, his hands clasped behind his back. He took his usual seat without a word, his eyes fixed on the table.

"Morning, Duri!" Taufan greeted him with a grin. "Excited about school?"

Duri nodded, but his smile didn't reach his eyes.

"Where's Hali?" Gempa asked, carrying a stack of pancakes to the table.

"Still yelling at Blaze," Ice muttered as he entered the room and slumped into a chair. "I'd be surprised if they both make it down here before lunchtime."

Just then, Halilintar stormed in, dragging Blaze by the ear. "Finally!" he huffed, letting go of Blaze, who rubbed his ear with an exaggerated pout.

"Geez, Hali, you're so dramatic," Blaze muttered, plopping into a chair.

"I wouldn't have to be if you acted like a normal human being," Hali shot back, glaring at him.

"All right, enough!" Gempa said firmly, shooting both of them a look that instantly silenced their bickering. "Eat your breakfast before it gets cold."

The table settled into a brief moment of calm as the brothers dug into their food. Forks scraped against plates, and the occasional clatter of dishes filled the silence.

But Gempa's observant eyes caught something unusual. Duri, who usually chattered happily about plants or asked for seconds, was unusually quiet. He picked at his food, barely eating a bite.